‘Millennium’ actor feared dead

Swedish thesp Per Oscarsson may have died in fire

LONDON — Swedish actor Per Oscarsson is believed dead after fire swept through the small house near Stockholm he shared with his wife.

Oscarsson, 83, played Lisbeth Salander’s legal guardian Holger Palmgren in “The Girl Who Played with Fire,” the second part in the hit film trilogy based on Swedish crime writer Stieg Larsson’s three novels in the “Millennium” series.

He is thought to have died along with 67-year-old Kia Ostling after fire swept through their home in Skara, South-West Sweden on Thursday.

Swedish police say the blaze was so fierce only a chimney was left standing and it was not until Sunday that rescue crews sifting through the ashes found a set of human remains. It is not known whether the remains are those of Oscarsson or his wife, but neighbors in the remote region have told investigators that neither the actor nor his wife have been seen since last week.

The cause of the blaze in unknown.

Oscarsson’s careers spanned seven decades. His first uncredited role was in a feature film in 1944. He won best actor at Cannes in 1966 for his roles as starving writer Pontus in the movie “Hunger.” He starred in more than 100 Swedish films and TV series.

News that the actor may have died prompted tributes across Swedish media outlets, with him described as a “legend of Swedish film” and a “captivating actor with a big heart.”